5 first round picks we did not expect in the 2023 NFL Draft
2. Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts (4th overall)
Anthony Richardson. player. 46. Pick Analysis. Florida. 4. Scouting Report. QB
When the Indianapolis Colts hired Shane Steichen to be their next head coach, the writing was on the wall that this team was taking a quarterback. But who? Well, we saw Anthony Richardson really cement his stock as one of the top players in this class with an absolutely bananas workout at the 2023 Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Perhaps the Colts decided then and there that Richardson would look great in their stadium over the long haul.
Richardson becomes the latest ball of clay to be molded by Shane Steichen, who has worked with two of the best athletes at the position at his last two stops. Most recently, Steichen worked with Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, helping orchestrate one of the most feared offenses in the game. Before that, Steichen was tasked with getting Justin Herbert up to speed despite a pandemic causing so many hurdles for NFL teams in terms of young player development.
I’d say those worked out well. What can Steichen and Richardson do together with the Colts?
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions (12th overall)
12. player. 50. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Jahmyr Gibbs. RB. Alabama
The Detroit Lions traded down from the 6th overall spot into the 12th overall slot, signaling they had missed out on their guy at pick no. 6, which was almost undoubtedly Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon (who went 5th to the Seahawks). After missing out on Witherspoon, the Lions traded back and got “creative”. They selected Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall pick, a selection that floored pretty much everyone.
Not that Gibbs is a bad player, by any means. As of now, the Lions do still have D’Andre Swift and 2023 free agent pickup David Montgomery as well. Gibbs has been compared to Alvin Kamara, and although comparisons are unfair to incoming players, he does offer a lot in the passing game and can be a dynamic weapon for Detroit. Still, the shock factor of this pick was among the highest of round one.